brinut22

Sweden AHOY! Concordia looks interesting too. There are so many places to apply, unfortunately don't have the money to apply to them all. >.<

Looks like I really need to start reading. I really want to tie in Sociology and the culture of video games and it seems like a lot of the material you all provided will help me get started. LARPing is so fun to watch too. FTR I am not a gamer, but I love learning about them and the people who play them. This could work to my benefit (being more objective) but could also work against me. It seems like I may have sparked an interest with some people so if anyone wants to join in, please do! But I really want my PhD too, so if I can't make it happen for grad school, there's always medical, cultural, cognition and urban sociology (and I can do gaming in my spare time). I really appreciate all the help and couldn't be happier with finding this site. Another quick question is, does meeting with graduate professors of the program you want to get into a good idea or a waste of time? Of course, a lot of that depends on if you have something to say that is relevant as well as other things, but is it recommended or does it do nothing in the long run?

Hm, ok. Stony Brook's UG professor aren't always the most helpful people but I will give it a shot!

It's a shame that they are. Sociology could definitely benefit learning more about technology. I did take a course called the Sociology of Technology as an undergrad, but it was more of a review of the history and technology that shaped New York. It was a bit of a let down. Chatrooms, RPGS, Larping, video games in general and so much more are all things that could easily fit in the realm of sociology, I just find it surprising that this is the only professor I could find that did some research in it. Regardless, I have a lot of work to do. ^^ Thank you so much again (especially SocialGroovements for once again keeping me from giving up). I truly appreciate all the help I can get.

Most of the colleges I have been looking at required 2-3 LoRs and I was pretty sure that wouldn't be a problem. I emailed the people I was going to request letters from last night and the wife of the professor I worked the most with and knows what I am capable of has just informed me he has died. I'm upset about the loss of my professor (really amazing fellow and I would have liked to have attended his funeral/memorial service) but I am also a little disheartened by the idea that one of my best LoRs are gone. So that leaves me with a Graduate student I worked with and a professor who doesn't like to check her email and tends not to respond for a good couple of months (took me 10 months to get a response from her about a paper...I was clear out of her class by then). So should I just throw in the towel or is there any hope of salvaging my quest for grad school now? I could get a LoR from my boss who was a professor for Columbia University but, I'm his babysitter, not student and he taught biology. What do I do?

Wow...Thank you! Thank you all so much! Knowing that I am not doomed really helps. I'm going to really concentrate on the things you mentioned above to make this happen. My gpa was something that scared me so it's nice to know I still have a chance. I started out as a philosophy major which annihilated my gpa and by the time I entered Sociology, a lot of the damage couldn't be completely fixed. My last two years (especially my last year) I did great (So I've been told), but those first two year...ick. >.< The ASA national conference would be doable since I am about 1.5 hours from the city. Research is still difficult considering where I live, not a lot of research opportunities going on, and if I was to go to the city for opportunities, it would really cut into my ability to work which I can't really afford right now. I am 24 and I've been told that is on the young side for grad school but it's worth a shot anyways. I've been focusing on Urban Sociology (one of my favorites and one of the classes I was a TA), Culture and Cognition and Medical Sociology. I've also found some other topics such as the Sociology of food and the culture of videogaming that has caught my eye. After a bit of research, I found professor at Rutgers (Paul Mclean) does have an interest in the culture of videogaming yet I am not sure how I would reach out to him without sounding like a babbling idiot. I wonder if I should even bother but it is a subject that really interests me. Although some parts of the responses I've read scream, "Give up now", I feel a little better overall about moving forward and I will try to stay positive. Most of the colleges I am looking at don't offer Masters degrees so I am a bit bummed about that I guess I will have to wait and see.

I am very new to this grad school process and currently overwhelmed to the point of tears. I graduated from Stony Brook with a degree in Sociology in 2010. I was also admitted to Alpha Kappa Delta that year. I was a teaching assistant for 2 classes and had a 3.28 gpa overall but a higher gpa in just sociology. I took time off to earn money and just give myself a break. I work as a babysitter, make pretty decent money, and I enjoy what I do but I want to go back to grad school now. I have no research experience, I am currently studying for the GRE, reading up on some information and I honestly don't know where to start or if I have a snowball's chance in a furnace of getting in anywhere. I would like to go back Fall 2014 (giving myself time) and I am looking at programs like Cornell, Rutgers, and Syracuse (probably more as time goes on) and thinking the only way I am getting into any of those is if the faculty has pity on me. I feel I am intelligent and could do grad work, I just don't know how I can prove to admissions I can so they will let me in. I'd really like a Ph.D but if I have to start off with a masters to get into the school, I will. Although my fear of asking this question is currently taking over since I fear someone will squish my dream of grad school like a slow moving spider, if I don't ask, I won't be able to go forward since I don't know where to begin... Honest advice or information would be much appreciated. I want to go to grad school and I am willing to find ways to make that happen, just no idea where to begin. Thank you so very much ahead of time...^^